Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia set to tackle criminality in waters bordering their countries

Philippine, Malaysian and Indonesian defense ministers held a meeting here Monday to seek ways to tackle criminality in waters bordering the three Southeast Asian nations.

According to the joint statement issued after the meeting, the three defense ministers raised concerns over the recent kidnappings and armed robbery in the maritime areas bordering their countries.

They "reaffirmed the need, commitment and collective responsibility of the countries to address such threats that undermine peace, security and prosperity of the region" and agreed to establish joint military command posts in the waters bordering their countries.

"The ministers deliberated and have agreed in principle for the armed forces and/or relevant agencies to explore ... coordinated activities among the militaries of the three countries, focusing on maritime security," the statement said.

The statement noted that a Trilateral Maritime Patrol Working Group will be convened to craft the "operational directions on the conduct of trilateral maritime patrol."

The ministers also agreed to intensify information and intelligence sharing among the three countries and to craft a "trilateral database sharing mechanism," it said.

More than 100,000 ships sailed in the Sulu Sea last year, according to Indonesia's foreign ministry, carrying about 60 million tons of cargo and more than 18 million passengers. Endit